Combined gas-burner and automatic lighter



(No Modl.) L. H. DRUEDING. GOMBINED GAS BURNER AND AUTOMATIC LIGHTER- No. 551,855. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

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p UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

LEONARD HENRY ARNOLD DRUEDING, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

COMBINED GAS-BURNER AND AUTOMATICLIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 551,855, dated December 24, 1895.

Application filed September 15 1894;. Serial No. 523,153. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, LEONARD HENRY AR- NOLD DRUEDING, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Gas-Burner and Automatic Lighter; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for igniting gas-jets of chandeliers and the like; and it consists in providing a novel means for automatically igniting the jet by the operation of turning on the gas.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gas-burner provided with my improved device for igniting the jet, the plug and its connections being shown in the position they will occupy when the valve is open to its fullest extent. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view showing the relative positions of the spring for throwing the pellets and the cam-plate for depressingand releasing thespring when the plug is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the valve closed. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the cam-plate and spring in the position shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the receptacle for holding the pellets, parts being broken away, and showing the throwing-spring and its connections in position. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line at x of Fig. 5 and looking toward the left in said figure, showing the cutoff for stopping the flow of the pellets in the chute. Fig. 7 is a detail view looking down upon the top of the burner and upper end of the tube ing the bifurcated tooth on the movable disk straddling the tooth or projection upon which the pellet is ignited by friction.

A represents the gas-pipe leading to the burner B of the chandelier, wall-bracket, or similar gas fixture. This pipe is provided with a valve of ordinary construction, which is opened and closed by means of the plug 0 provided with key 0. This plug has a vertical spindle 01 formed integral therewith upon its upper end in the nature of a prolongation of said plug. This spindle is inclosed within the circular tube or casing D, which is made preferably in' the form of a gas-burner, but may be made of any suitable or ornamental shape convenient. The top of this tube or casing D should be near enough to the jet B of the burner, so that a spark caused by the explosion of one of the igniting-pellets on the top of said tube or casing will ignite the gas escaping from the jet B instantly, as hereinafter described. .Near the bottom of this circular casing D ahorizontal slot d is provided, in which slot the cam-plate D may swing freely. The spindle dis squared and passes through a perforation in the lug d on the cam-plate D, and the slot d is made just long enough to allow the said camplate to be swung through an angle of ninety degrees, as will hereinafter be described.

E represents the pellet-receptacle. This receptacle is preferably inclosed within an ornamental figure of some kind, such as the dragon shown in the drawings, but the style of the figure is unimportant, and it may be omitted. The said receptacle should, how ever, be fixed in a sloping position, as shown, in order that the pellets mayrollfreely down the chute c. This chute e, sloping as shown, is connected at its lower end to an upwardlyextending tube E, which curves over at its upper end upon the top of the tube D, as shown in Fig. 1.

Beneath the body of the receptacle E, and fixed thereto along a portion of its length at one end, I provide a steel spring 6. This spring maybe straight, but is preferablybent upward, as shown, in order that it may the better engage the cam-plate D, as will be hereinafter more fully described. A smaller tube 6 is fixed within the upper end of the chute e upon the leg 6 working through a slot in the lower side of the said chute and fixed at its bottom end to the upper side of the spring 6, as shown in Fig. 5. lVhen the spring is depressed, it agitates the smaller tube slightly, thus causing the pellets to roll through from the pellet-receptacle into the chute c. It will be seen that this tube is made large enough to admit but one pellet at a time, and thus clogging is prevented, and the pellets are uniformly fed to the said chute.

' e is a stud rigidly fixed upon the upper side of the spring 6, and this stud works vertically in a perforation in the end of the chute 6 immediately beneath the tube E, as seen in Fig. 5.

In order that but one pellet may be allowed to roll down upon the head of the stud a when the spring is depressed, I have provided a frame e (shown most clearly in Fig. 6,) which is attached at its lower end to the spring (2', and carries at its upper end the downwardlyextending plate This plate projects downward through a slot in the upper side of the chute e, and when the end of the spring e is depressed descends into the said chute and cuts off the passage of all but the pellet at the bottom, which is left free, and will roll down upon the head of the stud e Then when the end of the spring 6 be released, as hereinafter described, it will fiy upward, carrying with it the stud e, and the pellet resting upon the head thereof, until the stop c on the upper side of the spring comes in contact with the lower side of the chute 6, when the upward movement of the spring and stud will be checked, but the pellet will be thrown upward with sufficient Velocity to cause it to run up the tube E and fall upon the fixed disk D The device for depressing and releasing the spring consists of the cam-plate D, which is fixed on the spindle (l and is swung around thereby in the slot din the tube D,when the plug C is turned to open or close the valve and thus turn on or off the gas from the jet B. This cam-plate D is provided near one end with an open-ended slot (i as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, wherein the said cam-plate is shown in the position it will occupy when the gas is turned on and oif, respectively. The dotted lines in the said figures indicate the positions of the key for turning the plug. The slot (1 in this cam-plate is made with its sides inclined upward and backward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the cam-plate is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrow, to the position shown in Fig. 3, the end of the spring will pass by the slot and will not fly upward through it, on account of its inclination; but when the cain-plate is moved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, from that position to the position shown in Fig. 2, the end of the spring will fly up the inclined slot, and will even be assisted by the inclination thereof. Thus it will be seen that when the gas is turned oif the cam-plate will press the end of the spring down,wh ere it will be held by thetooth (i while in that position. Vhen the spring is pressed down in this position the lowest pellet will roll down upon the head of the stud e in readiness to be thrown upward when the gas is turned on. In turnin g on the gas, as soon as the tooth d has been moved past the spring, the spring will fly up through the inclined slot d and the pellet will be thrown upward.

Near the upper end of the tube D and fixed therein is a plate or disk D through which the upper end of the spindle 01 passes. The extreme upper end of this spindle has mounted thereon a movable disk or plate D which is swung around by the said spindle. This movable disk D is cut away, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, and. has a bifurcated tooth (1 formed thereon. A tooth 61 projects from the side of the casing D inwardly above the immovable disk, and the bifurcated teeth (I on the movable disk straddles the tooth (1* when the said movable disk is turned in the operation of lighting the gas. The igniting-pellet resting upon the immovable disk D as indicated by (l in Fig. 7, is caught between the bifurcated tooth d" on the movable disk and the tooth d, which projects from the inner side of the easing D through the bifurcation in the tooth (1", during the movement of the disk D in openin g the valve, and is thus exploded by friction. An aperture d is formed in the fixed plate D, through which the residue of the pellet, after it has been exploded, falls, and drops through an aperture in the side of the tube 1') into the receptacle F therefor.

The operation of the device is as follows: The valve being closed, and the parts being in the position they will occupy when the gas is turned 01f, I turn the plug in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, and thus open the valve. When the tooth (1 has been turned past the end of the spring, the said spring will fly up through the slot (1 and a pellet will be thrown up through the tube E upon the disk D at the top of the tube 1). Continuingthe movement of the plug, the disk D is swung around above the fixed disk D and the pellet resting thereon is rolled along by the bifurcated tooth (Z on the moving disk until it reaches the tooth (l which projects through the bifurcation in the said tooth (1, when the pellet is caught between the moving bifurcated tooth and the fixed tooth and is exploded by the friction caused by this movement. The gas which at that time is escaping from the jet is instantaneously ignited. The residue of the pellet then falls through the aperture d down into the receptacle F provided therefor. When the gas is turned 011", the end of the spring 6 will be pressed down by the cam-plate 1) and will be held in that position while turned off, by means of the tooth (Z and in readiness for lighting the gas.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a device for lighting a gas jet by the explosion of a pellet by friction, the combination with a magazine for holding a number of said pellets, a chute leading therefrom, and means for regulating the flow of the pellets through said chute; a tube leading from the lower end of said chute to the point of explosion, and a spring arranged beneath said chute to throw one pellet at a time up said tube; of means connected to the valve plug for operating said spring, and means also connected with said valve plug for exploding the pellet after it has been thrown up said tube by the action of said spring, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve, an upright spindle forming a prolongation of said plug, a tubular casing inclosing said upright spindle, a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a slot in said casing and adapted to be turned with said plug, an immovable disk in the top of said casin g, and a movable disk mounted upon said spindle above said immovable disk in the top of said casing; of a magazine for the igniting pellets, a tube leading from said magazine to the top of said tubular casing, and a spring adapted to be engaged by the said cam plate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve, an upright spindle forming aprolongation of said plug, a tubular casing inclosing said upright spindle, a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a horizontal slot in said casing, and moving with said plug; an immovable disk in the top of said casing; a movable disk mounted upon the end of said spindle above said immovable disk, and turning with said spindle; a bifurcated tooth on said movable disk which is adapted to straddle a tooth projecting inwardly from the casing when the spindle is turned; of a magazine for the igniting pellets, a tube leading from said magazine to the top of the said tubular casing and a spring beneath the lower end of said tube adapted to be engaged by the said cam plate and alternately depressed and released thereby, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve, an upright spindle forming a prolongation of said plug, a tubular casing inclosing said upright spindle, a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a horizontal slot in said casing, and moving with said plug, an immovable disk in the top of said casing, and a movable disk mounted upon the end of said spindle above said immovable disk and turning with said spindle; of a magazine for the igniting pellets; a chute leading therefrom, and means for regulating the flow of the pellets through said chute; a tube leading from said chute to the top of said tubular casing;

and a spring beneath the said chute adapted to be engaged by the said cam plate and to be depressed and released thereby, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve, an upright spindle forming a prolongation of said plug; a tubular casing inclosing said upright spindle; a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a horizontal slot in said casing, and moving with said plug; an immovable disk in the top of said casing; a movable disk mounted upon the end of said spindle above said immovable disk, and turning with said spindle; a bifurcated tooth on said movable disk which is adapted to straddle a tooth projectingfrom said casing above said immovable disk when the spindle is turned; of a magazine for holding the explosive pellets, a chute leading therefrom, and means for regulating the flow of the pellets through said chute; a tube leading from said chute to the top of the said tubular casing; and a spring beneath the said chute adapted to be engaged by the said cam plate and to be depressed and released thereby, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve, an upright spindle forming a prolongation of said plug; a tubular casing inclosin g said upright spindle; a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a slot in said casing and adapted to be turned with said plug; an immovable disk in the top of said casing, and a movable disk mounted upon said spindle above said immovable disk, and each of said disks being cut away along one side; a tooth projecting inwardly from said casing above said immovable disk, and a -tooth on said movable disk which moves past said tooth on said casing when the spindle is turned; of a magazine for the igniting pellets; a chute leading therefrom and means for regulating and stopping the flow of the pellets through said chute; a tube leading upward from the lower end of said chute to the top of said tubular casing above said movable disk; a spring beneath said chute adapted to engage the said cam plate and be operated thereby, and a stud fixed on said spring and working vertically in a slot in the lower end of said chute immediately beneath said tube, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a gas igniter, the combination with the plug for opening and closing the valve; an upright spindle forming a prolongation of said plug; a tubular casing inclosing said upright spindle; a cam plate mounted upon said spindle and working in a horizontal slot in said casing, and moving with said plug, the said cam plate having an inclined slot therein; an immovable disk in the top of said casing; a movable disk mounted upon the end of said spindle above said immovable disk, and turning with said spindle; atooth on said movable disk which moves past a tooth projecting inwardly from, said easing above said immovable disk when the spindle is turned; of a magazine for the igniting pellets; a chute leading therefrom and means for regulating and stopping the flow of the pellets through said ehute; a tube leading from the lower end of said ehute to the top of the said tubular casing; and a spring beneath the lower end of said tube adapted to be engaged by said cam plate and depressed, and to move past said inelined slot when turned in one direction, and to fly up through said inclined slot and be released when the cam plate is turned in the opposite direction, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEOXARD HENRY ARNOLD BREEDING.

Witnesses:

EMILE MULDE, MARTIN FINNERTY. 

